SALISBURY, N.C. – Carson Kvapil may have never been in a micro sprint competitively until Monday night, but that didn’t stop him from posting the fastest times in practice for the TRD Micro Showdown.
The multi-time Millbridge Speedway winner and former track champion led the time sheets in both winged and non-winged micro action at the sixth-mile dirt oval, with the overall fastest time of the night coming in winged trim at 9.6466 seconds (63.442 mph) in the 25th of 27 winged groups to run Monday.
Kvapil’s best non-winged lap of 10.1765 seconds (60.139 mph) was the 16th-best single-lap speed turned Monday night and ended up topping the non-winged competitors that took time.
Afterward, the 16-year-old was as surprised as anyone that he was able to lay down the times that he was, considering his only time in a micro sprint before Monday was a pair of test days.
“Really, our thought was that we would run non-winged until we got comfortable with it, and we really weren’t too comfortable with how it was. I didn’t think I could consistently run laps, so we got to where there was only like an hour of practice left and I said screw it, let’s just put the wing on,” noted Kvapil, who also spun in turn two once during the night without the wing on top. “I’d practiced no wing time, so I thought we should get it going and I was surprised with how fast it was, really. I’d only been in a micro twice before this, so I guess I achieved what I was looking for.”
Overall, 38 groups of non-winged practice and 27 groups of winged practice were held during Monday’s three-hour open practice session, with more than 2,200 laps turned among 41 different drivers.
Following Kvapil on the winged time sheets were Alex Bright, 12-year-old Brent Crews, Brian Carber and Brenden Bright, while NASCAR K&N Pro Series East runner-up Chase Cabre was second-quickest behind Kvapil in non-winged trim and 17th overall for the night.
The only incidents of note aside from Kvapil’s spin were Joe B. Miller losing an engine in the ninth group of winged drills and a flip by Kvapil’s car owner, Coby Adams, during the final winged group of the night.
Adams became the first tally on the H3 Photography Flip Count of the week at the TRD Micro Showdown.
Action for the TRD Micro Showdown continues Tuesday night with Hyper Racing Night, featuring a full program of non-winged micro action capped off by a $2,000-to-win, $200-to-start main event.
Beginner Box Stock and Box Stock outlaw karts will join the Tuesday night racing program as well.